Draft analyst predicts Cowboys will take defensive end at No. 9

The Dallas Cowboys will make new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan a happy man by using the No. 9 pick to select Wisconsin underclassman defensive end J.J. Watt, the draft analyst for Pro Football Weekly predicted in his latest mock draft.

“Watt tested off the charts at the NFL Scouting Combine and received rave reviews for his maturity and focus in the interview process,” PFW’s Nolan Nawrocki wrote. “He is not without his detractors in the scouting community, but his ability to man the five-technique post where the Cowboys are severely undermanned could allow him to fit into the top 10.”

Nawrocki has the Washington Redskins taking the cornerback – Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara – that many other analysts believe the Cowboys will select.

“DeAngelo Hall is coming off a Pro Bowl season, but he was still inconsistent,” Nawrocki wrote. “Carlos Rogers is a free agent, and depth is lacking at a critical position in a conference that’s very deep at receiver.”